Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Became the Eldest Son of Sun Ce - Chapter 193



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Episode 193. The First Northern Expedition (3)

Cao Cao’s army was estimated to be around 20,000 strong. Our troops surged towards them like a tidal wave.

Looking at the numbers alone, there is a clear numerical advantage of our forces reaching 40,000.

However, Cao Cao’s army’s steadfast fighting spirit seemed to be similar to that of the friendly forces. If not, they would not have fought so fiercely.

A fierce clash of tens of thousands of troops. Soon, the shouts and hissing sounds of the troops lingered in my ears.

As I watched this scene from the central army, I felt a small sense of admiration.

Bravery beyond expectations. Indeed, it was worthy of being called Cao Cao’s army, one of the best in the Central Plains.

They were fighting on equal terms with their allies in a numerically disadvantaged situation.

‘If our vanguard was brave, then they were brave. They were not lacking in anything… How could they be considered equal to our forces when Cao Cao himself had not even arrived?’

then.

If Cao Cao’s army were the master of Cao Cao’s army, how much courage would they show?

As I thought about the future, my fists clenched and filled with strength.

In fact, I did think about just maintaining the front line until Cao Cao died of old age.

Of all the weapons this Sonso possesses, the sharpest weapon is none other than youth.

As time went by, old Cao Cao would fade away like the setting sun. On the contrary, I would be as energetic as the newly bright sun.

But I didn’t choose that path.

‘If that was the case, then Guo Jia’s name wouldn’t have been written in the cave in the first place.’

Since the goal was to develop a southern civilization, they could not back down from the Central Plains. They had to build a civilization that would lead the next two thousand years, not a civilization that would collapse quickly.

To do that, it was necessary to make it widely known that there were outstanding people in the South as well.

I looked up and stared at the Cao Cao army troops slowly approaching.

Although they are said to be the fiercest generals in Cao Cao’s army, they are ultimately generals under Cao Cao’s command.

I had no intention of losing to those people.

***

Seo Hwang, swinging his pole like a madman possessed by an evil spirit, shouted loudly.

“Who can stop this resonance!”

But despite his appearance reminiscent of a madman, Seo Hwang’s mind was cool.

Even though the battle had been going on for quite some time, the enemy’s vanguard had still not been broken through. This was not the situation that Xu Huang and the other generals of Cao Cao’s army had in mind.

‘The gap between Sun Ce and Zhou Yu… is invisible.’

Cao Cao’s generals had previously faced off against Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, so they knew very well how fearsome the two generals were.

So this time, since these two generals were not present, I thought it would be worthwhile to actually fight them.

But it wasn’t.

Seo Hwang let out a grand roar and struck down the pole.

Chaechaechaeng―

Then, the soldier Son So-gun who had been blocking Seo Hwang’s path collapsed in vain.

‘Son So, Son So… It wasn’t just a stroke of luck that General Xiahou retreated… .’

To be blunt, Xiahou Dun was not a general with outstanding military talent. So, Emperor Xu’s assessment of Sun Zhao was that he was a slightly superior general.

‘I thought I rated him highly for his age, but now I see that I underrated him.’

Seo Hwang stared ahead, trying to calm his heavy breathing.

After passing through the vanguard of Son So-gun, a large wagon surrounded the central army like a small wall. Only after passing through these will they finally reach the enemy’s central army.

‘I don’t think there was a cart like that a few years ago… It has a different side from Sun Ce.’

There is still a long way to go before reaching the Sonsogun Junggun.

To do that, the morale of the soldiers had to be boosted and there had to be some decent performance record.

Especially in such a chaotic battle, there is no precedent that can raise morale… .

After thinking this far, Seo Hwang took a deep breath and shouted resolutely.

“The enemy commander must come out immediately and accept this Seogongmyeong’s extreme! Or are you afraid of this Seogongmyeong!”

As he said this, Seo Hwang swung his sword fiercely again and cut down Sun So-gun.

And after a while, an old man blocked Seo Hwang’s path.

“You little brat of Cao Cao’s army! Where the hell do you think you are, running wild!”

It was a yellow dog.

The wrinkles on his face were carved like the hard bark of an old tree, but his body looked as solid as that of a young man in his prime.

Seo Hwang looked at him and frowned slightly.

“…Aesong. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that word.”

Seo Hwang shook the blood-stained pole back and forth several times and then shouted.

“I will personally check whether you treat this Seogongmyeong like a child!”

***

Huang Zhong was Huang Gai’s deputy and was leading the vanguard of the battlefield.

As Huang Zhong was observing the flow of the battlefield, a crack in the center caught his eye.

The left and right wings were evenly matched against the enemy, but the central force was the only one that was struggling. Wasn’t the central force the one that Huang Gai personally dispatched despite Huang Zhong’s dissuasion, saying that he would achieve great feats?

At that moment, Huang Zhong, feeling uneasy, shouted.

“Center! The center is slightly breached! Seo Kyo-wi, follow me and assist the center!”

“Yes, General!”

Huang Zhong, who had arrived at the central battlefield, had his eyes wide open.

He noticed the enemy general he had never seen before and the figure of Hwang Gai engaging in a close combat with him. He quickly took out the bow stored in his harness.

‘About 100 steps. This is enough to aim at.’

Meanwhile, Seo Hwang, who had gained the upper hand, shouted loudly.

“Where did the confidence that made you treat me like a child go?”

Although Huang Gai honed his martial arts under Sun Jian, Xu Huang was also a fierce general who was counted among the best in Cao Cao’s army, having accomplished numerous feats while conquering the Central Plains.

Given his age and his dancing prowess, this was a natural result.

Moreover, Seo Hwang, who was younger than Huang Gai, still had vigorous energy.

With those words, Seo Hwang tried to forcefully strike the pole downward from above.

At that moment, Seo Hwang, who was about to finish off Hwang Gae, changed the direction of the pole with a pale face and swung it wildly.

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“You called Seo Gongmyeong a lover for nothing!”

Then, the arrow aimed at Seo Hwang bounced off with an eerie hissing sound.

‘…What a sharp arrow!’

Seo Hwang, who was silently calming his surprised heart, looked around. Soon, a general who was approaching from the direction of the enemy camp came into view.

Huang Zhong, who was blocking the way as if guarding a yellow dog, quietly muttered.

“Your Majesty, please step back and command the army. The Major General will take charge here.”

“…I’m so ashamed. I couldn’t even beat that one guy properly… Time really sucks.”

Huang Zhong quickly nodded to the instructor who was following him.

“No, considering the age of Hwang Mu-reung, it is quite an achievement. Seo Gyo-wi, please come and invite him!”

“Yes, General.”

While the Qiao Wei was retreating with Huang Gai in tow, Huang Zhong opened his mouth to Xu Huang.

“Are you the vanguard?”

Meanwhile, Emperor Xu gave Huang Zhong a light compliment.

“Are you the one who just shot the bow? Your bow is quite sharp.”

“What good is a mere arrow? My spear is mightier than the bow.”

The moment Huang Zhong took out his spear with an indifferent expression, Xu Huang and Huang Zhong clashed again.

Their every move was so loud that it made a deafening noise, but in the end, they couldn’t come to a conclusion.

When Xu Huang failed to defeat Huang Zhong, Cao Cao’s rising morale began to decline again. They fought with a desperate determination, but their physical strength was limited.

As Cao Cao’s forces were running low, Sun Zhao’s forces took advantage of their numerical superiority to pressure Cao Cao’s forces.

In the end, Cao Cao’s army retreated.

***

The beginning of the fall of Yeju.

Cao Cao’s barracks.

The sun that had been high in the sky was already setting in the west.

The barracks of Cao Cao’s army, with torches lit and ready, were still bright. However, inside the barracks, the mood of the generals was dark.

Seo Hwang said with a dark face.

“…I’m sorry, it was my mistake to overlook the enemy’s morale. I never thought the enemy would be this elite.”

In fact, Cao Cao’s army was not defeated so severely that Xu Huang had to apologize.

It was simply a case of being at a disadvantage due to their numerical superiority. The fact that they faced an enemy force twice as large as theirs in the beginning showed the outstanding capabilities of Cao Cao’s army.

Then, Jeon, who had gone on a campaign with Seo Hwang, opened his mouth with a sullen expression.

“How could that be General Seo’s fault alone? It was a sufficient result to fight that way despite being outnumbered.”

Seo Hwang let out a shallow sigh. Normally, he should have killed the enemy general and then charged forward with the strength of his spirit, like a firework.

But they failed to cut down the enemy general. From that moment on, Cao Cao’s army’s charge was virtually at a standstill.

He answered in a regretful tone.

“It may sound like an excuse, but… the veteran in the vanguard was weaker than me. He must have trained quite a bit in martial arts when he was young, but he was already old, so it wasn’t difficult for him to win.

The problem was the next general we encountered. Dealing with that middle-aged general wasn’t easy.

Archery is archery, and spearmanship is also difficult to defeat in a short period of time because it is a skill that has been practiced for a long time. If you want to be certain of victory, you should compete with at least 100 people or more.”

When Xu Huang, a famous general in Cao Cao’s army, praised the enemy general, Yue Jin and Jeon’s faces instantly frowned.

Akjin stood up from his seat in anger and shouted.

“General, why do you only say things that will lower the morale of our troops? Our lord trusted us and stationed us at the outpost, so do you intend to run away like this?”

Previously, he also opened his mouth with a cautious expression.

“…Both generals, please stop arguing. More importantly, the supply of military supplies is taking longer than expected. In reality, Heo Hyeon and Cho Hyeon are close.

However, supplies are being delayed. Fortunately, we are holding on now by using up the military rations that we have stored up… .”

When he pointed out the supply that he had never even looked at before, Seo Hwang and Ak Jin’s faces hardened.

Ominous problems arising both inside and outside Cao Cao’s army.

Seo Hwang, with a stern expression, took out the order he had kept carefully in his bosom and spoke.

“These are the orders my lord gave me. My lord told me to read these orders when our troops are in danger… What do you think?”

In response to Seo Hwang’s question, Ak Jin and Jeon nodded as if there was no room for doubt.

If things continue this way, Cao Cao’s southern forces will retreat without even being able to exert their strength. If this isn’t a crisis for Cao Cao’s army, then what is?

With the permission of the other generals, Seo Hwang quickly began reading the letter.

While reading the letter left behind by Cao Cao, Xu Huang let out an exclamation of admiration without realizing it.

“My lord, you can truly see through people’s hearts!”

***

Chohyun Son So-gun barracks.

Meanwhile, I, who had happily taken the initiative in the first war, awarded awards to the vanguard generals.

Did we win based on our numerical superiority? What does that matter? In the end, it was our team that won.

Meanwhile, Huang Gai, who had been defeated by the enemy general, tried to lower his morale by saying things like he was old now, so I tried to calm him down with a few words.

“Victory or defeat is a matter of personal choice. Besides, isn’t Hwang Mu-reung a vassal who has followed the Son family since his grandfather’s time? How can I punish you for losing to the enemy general?

Rather, I am grateful to the elders of this place, including Hwang Mu-reung, who have been loyal to the Son family for three generations. So please do not bring up such words again and reproach yourself.”

Then, the elders, including Hwang Gae, bowed their heads and shed tears of gratitude.

‘Actually, if he was able to hold out like that against Xu Huang, wasn’t that a good fight? Xu Huang was one of the bravest generals in Cao Cao’s army…’

And a few days later, after receiving the report from Huang Zhong in the vanguard, I approached the distance where Cao Cao’s army guarding the front line was visible. Just enough to check the enemy’s clothing.

Huang Zhong said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Look at their shoulders, my lord. Cao Cao’s men are wearing something on their shoulders. It seems that they have lost their momentum and are preparing something… I don’t know what it is.”

“…what?”

I narrowed my eyes slightly and looked at Cao Cao’s army on the wall. As expected, it was as Huang Zhong had reported. It was quite a distance away so I couldn’t see it properly, but he was carrying something on his shoulder.

Cao Cao’s army, whose morale was lowered after being defeated in an all-out war, was surrounded by something unidentifiable in just a few days.

‘Since their momentum has been broken in an all-out war, there are limits to their defense… What are they preparing?’

Until recently, it was Cao Cao’s army that had been fighting to protect Cho-hyeon. They would not have thought of suddenly abandoning Cho-hyeon and running away unless they were crazy.

I looked at the soldiers on the wall with distrustful eyes.

As I pondered for a moment, the corners of my lips rose into a smirk. Now, I felt like I understood what they were trying to do.

‘They say everyone’s thoughts are the same… . Your thoughts are similar. How dare you try to trick me?’

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